Hollow Prayers
by Tetsu-roku
Summary: Aeons have been the ultimate source of a summoner's power. But how are aeons created? Who created them? And what sacrifice do they have to make? Read and find out... Bahamut Pt. 1 is up!
1. Yunalesca's Story

A/N: This is my first FFX fan fic. I hope you all like it! Please R&R!

**Chapter 1: Yunalesca's Story**

_June, 1000 AD_

_ Run… You must run…_

The voices in her head sounded so urgent. Her long strides were undetectable from fiends who were lurking in the shadows of the forest. The chirps of birds and squeals of fiends becoming dinner were unbearably loud. She had been running for hours. Finally, light was pouring through the exit.

Valefor stepped out into the meadow. Her long, dirty blond hair was full of leaves and twigs. Her normally soft yellow eyes were stressed and annoyed. Her sky blue kimono was stained with mud. The once sharp and silver sais (A/N: Sais are long daggers with two smaller daggers sticking out of the sides. If you have ever seen Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Raphael has these) she carried were dull and gray. Her wooden getas were dirty brown and muddy.

Valefor gazed at the night sky. The full moon was a pure silver disc in the sky. The stars shone brightly. Shooting starts were streaking across the sky of darkness. The grassy plains were flowing with the wind. The blue roses shone brightly from the moon's light. Pyreflies were flying around the roses. Some floated around Valefor.

Valefor gazed at the beautiful pyreflies. The red, blue, and yellow lights were mesmerizing as the orbs of light danced around her. But something happened. The pyreflies were jerking in odd ways, as if disturbed. They quickly regrouped and fled to the north. Valefor, having nothing else to do, gave chase.

Hours later, a mysterious shape came into vies. As Valefor studied the shape, she figured out what it was. It was Zanarkand; the city that never sleeps. The city was lit up like the morning sun. The tall skyscrapers stooped over the rivers and roads. Highways were littered with people. The blitz ball stadium was dark. No one was playing blitz ball there. The stars, however, were gone. The city's lights were so bright.

_Go in… Go in the city…_

She heard it again. That same voice, begging her to go, was back. Valefor had to go. It sounded so persuasive…

As the voice grew louder, the crowds began to thicken. Valefor had a hard time getting through the chaotic groups. She had to apologize every few seconds for accidentally pushing them or stumbling over their feet. "Hey, watch it!" "Look where you're going!" "What the hell are you doing!"

Valefor followed the voice the entire way. "Finally, I'm getting close," she said to herself as the voice was louder than ever. She stopped at a temple. It had to be ancient. The carvings and statues were chipping and covered in moss. The fine details were totally gone, as if someone picked up a sledgehammer and whacked at it. The old doors were giving way. Both doors were falling off their hinges. Only one statue stood strong from the moss and chips. It was a statue of Lady Yunalesca. Her long hair flowed to her legs and spiked in different places. Her bra and thong were finely carved into the statue. Her cold eyes stared deep into the thoughts and soul of Valefor. She felt uneasy about this. Those eyes… They were somewhat familiar, yet she had never seen them before. This woman wasn't in her memory.

_Valefor…_

Valefor jumped back. She grabbed her sais and grasped them firmly. Her heart rate skyrocketed. She glanced around, nervously waiting for the one who spoke to attack.

_Do not be alarmed, it said. I'm right in front of you…_

Valefor put down her sais, just for a moment. She looked in front of her, toward the temple. No one was there. She looked around, confused, at her surroundings. When her calm eyes met the statue of Yunalesca, she heard the voice again.

_That's right. It is I, Lady Yunalesca. I called to you for help. Will you listen to my story?_

_That's it_, Valefor thought. I_ totally lost my mind_. But she thought about it anyway. She didn't know much of anything about this Yunalesca. What if she was a thief? A liar, perhaps? But, then again, why would there be a statue of her in the temple. Valefor sighed. "All right," she said. "I'll listen." She sat down on a rotten log behind her.

_ A year from now, a great machine war between Zanarkand and Bevelle will occur. Zanarkand will have summoners to call forth spirits of power, aeons, to fight in the front lines. Bevelle, obviously, will use machine. During the war, a great being will be born. It will be called Sin, a large gray fishlike fiend, with hundreds of eyes, a large snout, and four large fins. It will attack and destroy everything in Zanarkand. Sin will continue to destroy all of Spira if it isn't stopped._

Yunalesca paused and stared at Valefor. _This is where you come in. You and nine others will become the Fayth, spirits in temples who will become aeons. They are whisked away into the soul of the summoner. When the timing is right, the summoner will call them. They must answer, or both the aeon and the summoner will die. But becoming an aeon is a ritual. You must pass a test to see if you are ready. Do you want to be an aeon?_

Valefor knew the answer. An aeon… a spirit of power… this is what she dreamed off. She nodded her head.

Yunalesca smiled. _Good. Here is your test._

Suddenly, a large plant-like fiend appeared. It was an Ochu, a giant plant with huge roots and vines. On the top of the body was a large mouth with dozens of sharp teeth. A green mist was protruding from its green body.

Valefor stared in awe at the wondrous fiend. She turned towards Yunalesca. "I have to defeat _this_ powerful piece of shit?"

_If you can defeat it, Yunalesca said, then you will become an aeon…_

Cool storyline, huh? I've always wanted to do this story since I joined fanfiction, but I never really had time to do it. Hope you liked it! The next chapter will come out soon!


	2. Wings of the Fayth

**Chapter 2: Wings of the Fayth**

_ Do you think you can do this?_ Yunalesca asked.

Valefor wasn't sure. Okay, so it was a common fiend. But she knew of the Ochu's dangerous surprise. One whip from that vine, and she will be poisoned, her life draining away. However, Valefor smiled. "I've always wanted a good challenge," she exclaimed, and leapt at her opponent.

The Ochu was fast, but she was faster. Valefor sliced at the vines of the poisonous fiend. The Ochu screamed in pain as one of its vines collapsed on the ground, wiggling for life. The fiend was hopping mad, enraged that this puny human had the potential to defeat it.

Valefor waited for her opponent to counterattack. But, surprisingly, the Ochu fell asleep! Valefor sighed. "Uhh… what the hell is going on here?" she asked with a very confused look on her face. She had never seen this move. But she couldn't let an opportunity of luck like this pass. Valefor sprinted towards the Ochu, and leapt to attack.

Unfortunately, the Ochu woke up, with new power from that sleep. It jumped high into the air, dodging Valefor, and body slammed her into the ground.

Valefor grunted as she tried to pull herself up, but she was severely wounded. She fell with a cry in pain. Her getas were cracking, splinters sticking out at different angles. Her kimono was ripped to shreds. That once beautiful, expensive clothing was now a pile of rags. She was bleeding on her mouth, and had a severe cut on her head. Blood was dripping down rapidly. Her back was cracked. She couldn't move.

The Ochu shrieked happily. It knew that it had won. But after all that hard work, it was very hungry. And it wanted Valefor to be the main course. It reached out to her with one of its thick healthy vines. Valefor screamed as she was forced into the Ochu's mouth.

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Inside the Ochu, Valefor woke up. _How long did I sleep?_ she thought to herself. _Was it a minute? An hour perhaps? Where am I?_ Valefor opened her eyes. It was dark, soft, and smelled very bad. She quietly snickered to herself. "It makes sense now," she confirmed. "I'm in the stomach."

Valefor looked around. As she glanced around, she became confused. "Where's the stomach acid?" she asked herself. There wasn't any juice or liquid in the stomach with her. She smiled, thinking that she couldn't be killed with some stupid acid. But, as she continued to look harder, she noticed these circles on the stomach wall. At that moment, there was a rumbling sound. It was gentle and quiet at first, but now it sounded like a roaring waterfall back at her home in Besaid. Valefor gasped as she saw the circles opened up. Stomach acid purged from these holes. A nasty odor filled the air.

Valefor stood up and pounded the stomach wall. But she stopped. She wiggled her hands. She shook both of her legs. She couldn't help grinning. "I can move again!" she shouted. As she said that, she got an idea. She took out both of her sais and pointed them at the stomach wall. A red glow emanated from the tips. "I've always wanted to try this out before!" she said to herself. "Energy Ray!" Several long red beams soared from her sais, and collided into the stomach wall. The stomach showed no resistance to the heat as the rays continued to sear into the wall, tearing a huge gaping hole in the center. Valefor jumped out and turned to see the injured Ochu.

It screamed in agony. It writhed just to live. The fiend was almost cut in half! The upper body was on the ground, but the lower body was still standing. The Ochu had never experienced such power before. After a few seconds later, it stopped moving. Valefor, however, wasn't smiling. _This isn't right,_ she thought to herself. _When a fiend dies, it disappears and a group of pyreflies float around._ The Ochu wasn't disappearing, and there weren't any pyreflies, so it wasn't dead yet.

She grasped her sais and pointed them at each other. A faint pentagram was visible, spinning faster with each passing second. "Okay, you fat bastard," she exclaimed, "Prepare to die! Energy Blast!" The sais emitted an orb of white light. The orb moved into the pentagram. Suddenly, a dozen orbs purged through the pentagram and flew towards the fallen Ochu. As the orbs sank into the ground, they exploded, sending the Ochu flying through the night sky. Valefor grinned and sat down on the fallen log. She couldn't help laughing as she thought of the Ochu, pretending to be a shooting star. She could see it now; a young boy making a wish on the 'shooting star'.

_ Good job…_

Valefor turned around nonchalantly. It was Yunalesca. "So, how did I do?" Valefor asked her.

_ Didn't think an Ochu could be that tough, did you?_ Yunalesca asked with a grin.

"I honestly didn't think it would be that hard to beat, you know?"

Yunalesca laughed. _Well, you did manage to beat it anyhow, I'll give you that. She stopped and thought for a while. All right, she said. You passed the test. Enter the temple. I'll tell you what to do as everyone else is there._

At that moment, the temple doors creaked open. Valefor couldn't help but grin as she stepped inside. Her dream would finally come true.

Cool, huh? I already started working on Ifrit, who will appear in the next chapter. If you have any ideas for the other aeons, please send reviews. I appreciate it!


	3. Pyromaniac

A/N: A big thanks to the following people for reviews: CodeLyoko, Aurons a dead sexy guy, Faiga-Lani, GeminiXFlame! I love your idea, GeminiXFlame! I think I'll do just that after Ixion!

**Chapter 3: Pyromaniac**

_October 15, 1002 AD_

"I'll take those gloves!"

It was a beautiful day in Zanarkand. The beautiful water crescent was sparkling brightly. The leaves of the trees were red and yellow. There were many shouts and cheers from the Blitzball stadium. The Field Knife, a large armory, was packed with battle-hungry warriors and mages. Ifrit was one of them. He had a tan skin tone with short dark brown hair and yellow eyes. His orange shirt had a picture of a dragon on it. His black pants were baggy, and had two orange flames on each leg.

"Okay, that's going to be 125 thousand gil," the cashier said.

Ifrit dug his fists into his pockets. He checked how much gil was on him. _About 120 thousand_, he thought to himself. _This is bad. Real bad._

"Come on, Setur," he pleaded. "Take off 5 thousand."

Setur just smiled. Ifrit was always trying to act sweet and innocent to lower the price. It unfortunately worked on the other shopkeepers. But it wouldn't work on him.

"No way, Ifrit," he answered. "Pay the exact price, or you won't get these gloves. Next," he said, beckoning the next person in line.

Ifrit slammed his hands on the counter. "Come on!" Ifrit said. "I've been waiting forever for these Pyro Gloves!" he shouted. "I mean, you see me battling fiends everyday. You know that these weak, dull claws don't work as well as they used to," he said, showing him the rusty, dull Neko gloves. "And if that's not enough, my family took a huge nosedive into bankruptcy! It's hard for them to pay the rent, even to buy food." Ifrit started to sob. But in his mind, he thought, This is my best scheme yet!

Ifrit looked up. He saw Setur holding back tears. In his mind, Ifrit grinned. "Well?' Ifrit asked, still "crying".

Setur gave in. "Fine," he said, "You can have the Pyro gloves for the reduced price." He sighed as he said this. He knew that he had been tricked, but what was the point in refusing to play Ifrit's game?

Ifrit grinned. "Thanks!" he said quickly, and ran out of the store as fast as he could.

He couldn't wait to show everyone his new gloves. He pushed through the crowd in the City Center. "Watch where you're going!" "What the hell…?" "Get the hell away from me, smartass!"

Suddenly, screams filled the air. Ifrit turned around, and gaped at what he saw. It was a Garuda. It was a large, tan bird with a long neck and tongue, and two huge blue talons. Each flap of its wings was like a twister. People flew backwards into walls. Everyone, including Ifrit, covered their ears from the Garuda's loud screech.

_What's a Garuda doing here?_ Ifrit thought to himself. _The border guards were supposed to take care of the fiends. Did they let them in, or what? _Ifrit smiled. _At least I get to use my new gloves..._

I'm so sorry it took so long to post this chapter! My Internet connection was lost for a few days. But it's back, and the next chapter will be up soon!


	4. Flames of the Fayth

Hello again! Sorry it took so long to write more of the story! Well, here's the next chapter!

**Chapter 4: Flames of the Fayth**

Ifrit leapt at the Garuda. He tried a right-arm punch, but there wasn't any contact. The Garuda dodged the attack, and pecked Ifrit on the shoulder. Ifrit screamed in pain. Blood was oozing from his shoulder. Muscles and bones were visible from the wound.

"Damn it," he mumbled. This was no ordinary fiend. He used to fight Garudas for a few years. He used to jump up and kill these ugly birds. Now, he can't even reach it. "I'll try a spinning kick," he mutters, and leaps at the bird again.

Ifrit flipped backwards, and thrust a strong kick. Like the punch, the Garuda dodged it and countered this attack with its talon.

Ifrit fell to the ground. He could barely get up, let alone move. The talon scratched his upper right leg. Blood was spewing from everywhere as it dripped onto the pavement. _What can I do?_ he thought. Nothing works. Physical attacks don't work. If I get close, the bird dodges and counters with a powerful strike. Then something occurred to him. _If physical attacks don't work, then maybe magic will._

"I guess these gloves are my last resort," he says, and leapt at the bird.

The Garuda screeched, almost like it was laughing. Ifrit kicked with his left leg. Once again, no contact. The Garuda tried to peck him. But Ifrit was ready. He pulled away from the monster. He put his hands on his forehead. A faint glow emanated from his gloves. "Take this, you son of a bitch!" he shouted as he pushed his hands towards the fiend.

A humungous fireball appeared, and was going straight for the Garuda. The fiend screeched in surprise. It never seen an opponent counter its counterattack. The fireball hit the Garuda on the left wing. It cried in pain as it fell to the ground.

Ifrit landed on his left leg, and fell. "This is my chance," he mutters. "But I need more strength."

Suddenly, he had an out-of-body experience. He was floating above the battle! "This… is cool," he said in awe. He looked away from the battle and saw a woman.

"Who are you?"

The woman smiled. "I am Lady Yunalesca, the one who will give you strength if you give me your soul."

Ifrit backed away. "Why do you need my soul?" he asked, terror strong in his voice.

Lady Yunalesca stepped forward. "You wish to become an aeon, do you not?"

Ifrit gasped. It never really occurred to him. _But now that I think about it,_ he thought to himself. _Aeons were something I used to imagine being as a child._ "So you will give me strength to defeat the Garuda, if I sell you my soul to become an aeon?"

Yunalesca nodded. "That is correct."

Ifrit flew back to his body. He smiled. The wounds were now gone. So was the pain. In fact, he felt much stronger than before. He faced the injured Garuda. "Now, you shall perish," he said ominously. He thrust his right hand out. As if by magic, the Garuda lifted into the air. "Here's a little present." Another fireball hit the Garuda. But the fireball was larger than the ugly bird. The Garuda screeched as it floated inside the fire of death. Ifrit laughed. "And here's the main course! Hellfire!" He picked up a huge piece of earth, and chucked it at the Garuda.

As soon as the earth made contact, there was a large explosion. Ifrit covered his eyes; the lights were too bright. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes. Instead of the Garuda, there was a swarm of pyreflies. Ifrit sighed. That was probably the toughest battle he ever fought.

Yunalesca appeared in front of him. "You have defeated the strongest fiend that you ever faced," she says, a smile on her face. "Now, enter this red pillar of light…" A pillar appeared in front of him. "And wait in the temple for me."

Ifrit smiled as he stepped into the light. His childhood dreams would come true.


	5. Rolling Thunder

Hello everyone! Sorry I haven't updated this story for a while! Blame school.

**Slade 2.0: **Thanks for the reviewing! And yes, I did read your other story. It's awesome!

**Turntable Aurora: **Of course, swindling is bad. But you heard Ifrit! 'My family took a huge nosedive into bankruptcy! It's hard for them to pay the rent, even to buy food.' He's such a joker 

**Aurons a sexy dead guy: **That was a pretty good interpretation of Ifrit. Making him a biker… never thought of that before.

Anyways, here's the next chapter!

**Chapter 5: Rolling Thunder**

_July 13, 1002_

The Thunder Plains was one place no one wanted to live in. Why? It rains, it thunders, and electrocution was inevitable. But one person loved the Thunder Plains. In fact, thunder and lightning were a huge part of his life!

Dark gray clouds lulled on by. Cracks of lightning were visible every moment, and the booms of thunder were deafening. It was pouring rain. There was a small flood building up near Guadosalam.

A man was walking through the Thunder Plains. He wore a gray monk robe with a yellow band across his waist. He had light blue patterns of Yevon on his clothing. His gray hair was tied up in curls. Rain was dripping from his age-old hair. He had a pale skin tone with blue eyes. His nose was rather crooked, and his smile didn't bring much happiness to anyone he met. He carried a small yellow book under his arm.

Ixion was trying to reach Macalania Woods by sundown. His job was to bring a blue orb from Guadosalam to Macalania. This blue orb had strange powers. It could see how one would die, from a well-fought battle to old age. It was carried in a small woven bag he had on his waist.

As he passed a few Cactuar stones, Ixion wondered how he would die. He wasn't too curious; he was well passed middle age. But he couldn't shake off this feeling that old age wouldn't cause a visit from the Reaper. In fact, he felt that he would die by a spirit.

Ixion shrugged. "There's nothing to worry about," he said in a raspy voice. "Old age will be my death."

_Rustle…_

Ixion spun around. A young lady stood in front of him. Ixion gave a small chuckle. All she wore was a tight bra and a thong. _It's been too long since I've been so perverted, _he thought. _That's what being a monk is all about._

But something didn't seem right. Nothing seemed right to him anymore. There were two things that bothered him. One, she looked like a spirit. Pyreflies were coming from her. And two, how could there be rustling if this is a vast open plain without any leaves?

"Who are you?" he croaked.

The beautiful lady didn't say anything. Rather, a voice came into his head.

_Remember the scrolls…_

Ixion gasped as he heard this in his mind. He wasn't particularly used to hearing a voice in his head. Unless it reminded him to take his medication. But he tried to remember. _Astronomy, Magic, Wars… _he thought.

Then it came to him in a flash. He did remember something about how women would act crazy, saying that there's a war brewing near Zanarkand. And one of those pictures had a woman that looked just like her. If only he could remember her name…

_It's Yunalesca._

He looked up at the woman. "You're Yunalesca?" he asked. The woman nodded. _Yes, Yunalesca. I've been waiting for you, Ixion._

Ixion took a step back. _How does she know my name?_ he wondered. _And why would she be waiting for me?_

"You're dead," he pointed out. "How did you die?"

Yunalesca sighed. _Now is not the time for you to know, _she replied. _Rather, there is something that you should know…_

Ixion blinked. "I'm listening," he said.

Yunalesca told Ixion the story of the war and Sin. As she told the story, Ixion would shake his head. "This isn't right," he repeated. "A war between Zanarkand and Bevelle… never could that happen."

She sighed. There was no way to convince him. Unless…

_Have you ever used a weapon before?_

Ixion cocked an eyebrow. "Uhh…" he mumbled. He tried to think. _Have I used a weapon before? _he thought. After a while, he confidently said, "No."

Yunalesca nodded. _I understand, _she replied. _I just wanted you to know that you could become a spirit of power. But an aeon would be a power of strength._ She turned and started to walk away.

Ixion gaped. An aeon? That's something interesting… "Wait!" he shouted.

Yunalesca turned.

"I do know some Thunder magic."

She smiled. _Do you want to be an aeon?_

"You still have to tell me what it is."

_Very well. An aeon is a spiritual being of power. There are many forms of aeons. One looks like a bird. Another looks like a dog on fire. But you… I can see you being a horse of thunder._

Ixion smiled. "Well, what can I do to become an aeon?" he asked quickly.

Yunalesca waved her hand away from Ixion. Lightning bolts struck a certain part of the ground. The light was too bright to see, but Ixion could make out a large shadow.

Yunalesca smiled. _Defeat this fiend with your magic, and the power of the aeons shall be yours._

Sorry if this chapter is short! I have a lot of schoolwork to do! Read and Review!


	6. Bolts of the Fayth

**Chapter 6: Bolts of the Fayth**

Ixion stared at the fiend, his jaw dropping at the mere sight of it. It was a Behemoth King, a large silver bear-like monster with huge claws and a red tuft of hair. It had two horns sprouting from each side of its mouth. As it roared, the ground shook.

Ixion tried to steady himself. But seeing as he was old and fragile, he fell to the ground. As the Behemoth King ran up to him, Ixion jumped up. Instinctively, he took out the blue orb and held it high. He stared at the sphere. He could have sworn he saw sparks from the inside.

He was right. Yellow sparks were dancing inside the orb like two old people dancing the Jitterbug. Moments later, the blue orb turned a bright yellow. Ixion gulped. The Behemoth King was yards away from him, and he had no idea what was happening to the orb. Suddenly, he heard a voice. "_Thundaga!_" it roared.

Streaks of lightning merged with the fiend. The monster thought it tickled, seeing as how its roar was sounding like a laugh. Suddenly, the Behemoth King exploded from the inside. Ixion gaped as the Behemoth King roared its final roar. It fell to the ground, limp as a bone.

Ixion carefully took a step towards the beast. Its eyes were shut, tongue lolling from its mouth. He checked its right paw. No movement or twitching. He nodded. "Yep, he's dead all right," he confirmed.

But something happened he hadn't expected. The ground was rumbling and shaking. "What the…?" he said to himself. He turned to Yunalesca. She pointed towards the sky. He looked. What he saw freaked him out.

Large fiery meteors were hurling towards him. There must have been ten… no, twenty. They exploded as they made contact with the ground.

Ixion shielded himself from the amazing threat. He gasped. Nervously, he looked up. The meteors were making direct hits, but he wasn't feeling any pain. He thought for a second. _Maybe I'm dead?_ he thought. Then he felt something vibrate in his hand. He looked at the orb. It was still glowing. A thought came to him. The sphere was protecting him!

Soon, the meteor threat died down. He breathed a sigh of relief. He looked over towards Yunalesca. "So, did I pass?" he croaked.

Yunalesca smiled. _You sure did. _She started to walk away. Then she stopped. She turned around. As she extended her hand, she said _Would you like to become an aeon now?_

Ixion stared at her. "You mean it?" he asked.

Yunalesca nodded.

He cringed. "Maybe it's not such a good idea," he said. When he saw Yunalesca's confused look, he explained. "I mean, being summoned whenever a summoner needs you seems pretty hard. And what is going to happen to this body? Is it going to be locked away in the temple? Or is it going to rot into nothing?"

Yunalesca smiled. _You put a lot of thought into this,_ she confided. _But you shall be safe with my help. Come, and follow your dreams._ As she said this, a doorway of light appeared in front of him.

Ixion shrugged. "Macalania didn't want their blue orb anyway," he confirmed, and walked inside.


	7. Frozen Solid

A/N: Wow, it's good to write another chapter of this story again! How long has it been since I did that? A year or two? I don't know, but I'm glad I'm starting it up again!

* * *

**_Chapter 7: Frozen Solid_**

_Lake Macalania, 998 A.D._

She stood in front of the statue, gazing at its remarkable beauty. Her ice-blue eyes gazed at it softly, taking in the specific detail and effort to create such a thing. One of her blue locks fell in front of her left eye, blocking her view of the statue. Slightly annoyed, she pulled it back with her left hand and hooked it behind her ear. _There. Maybe now it will stay._

Shiva loved Lake Macalania. Though she lived in Bevelle, she would always trek through the luscious blue-green forest of Macalania Forest (Sometimes taking the sparkly trail that appeared from time to time) and endured the cold harsh winds of the open lake just to gaze upon the statue's beauty.

It was set several weeks ago in loving memory of her lover, Cait. It felt like only yesterday when she had met him at the Bevelle Temple she used to worship at all the time...

* * *

Back then, she was studying to become a priestess, which was quite unusual for someone with her beauty. She knew the monks and priests were thinking of going against the temple's teachings just to have one night with her alone. She loved to feed off of their dirty thoughts, strutting her hips when the higher-ups weren't looking.

The priests held a meeting that day. She had been frightened, thinking that someone had caught her "acting dirty" around the monks. But, to her relief, it was only a meeting to announce the arrival of a new follower. Like everyone else, she clapped her hands to welcome him.

What did come as a shock was the fact that he looked so handsome. His blond hair was combed over one of his eyes and stood straight up spiked at the same time. His monk robes were unusually black with a white trim along the borders of the designs of Yevon. But what she found most endearing was his eyes. His silver eyes shone brightly in the room, and the torches only magnified their intensity. She felt that she could get lost in them and never wanting to be found.

She suddenly noticed that everyone was staring at her. Feeling quite embarrassed, she composed herself and straightened up, blinking. One of the monks leaned close to her ears. "You were staring," he explained quickly and quietly. Shiva blushed and walked away briskly, wanting to be alone that night.

As she gazed at the moon that night on her balcony the temple supplied her, she noticed that someone was watching her. She turned her head back slowly and glanced around the room. Nothing there. Frowning, she picked up a dagger from her balcony table and stepped inside. The dagger was small but sharp, with a silver blade. A small red jewel was planted into the handle. She gripped her dagger tightly that was given to her on her birthday a year ago by her father and scanned the room. At the thought of a perverted monk coming inside her room without permission, she focused her anger and turned it into judgment and visual aid.

The dark room cast large shadows from the bright light of the crescent moon outside. Once or twice, she jumped every now and then, thinking she had seen a fiend. But she continuously told herself that a fiend hadn't been spotted in Bevelle for the past three decades. Keeping that information at hand, she found the courage to continue her search.

As the moments went by, she began to feel that there was nothing watching her at all, that it was just her imagination. Regardless, she kept searching. As she neared the bed for the third time, Shiva stopped and listened. It sounded like a snore.

_Someone was definitely in the bed._

She hesitantly reached for the covers and, eyes closed, pulled them away. She screamed.

The figure bolted up from the bed and screamed back in surprise. "What are you doing in my bed?!" she shrieked, her dagger held high, the blade pointed at the stranger.

The stranger backed away slowly. "Hey, I thought this was my room," he said quickly. "I… I didn't know, being new here and all."

Shiva blinked, lowering her weapon slightly. "Wait… you're the new guy?"

Chuckling nervously, he nodded. "Yeah," he replied. "I'm so sorry. I honestly didn't know…"

Shiva smiled and placed the dagger on her bedside table. "Don't worry about it," she said with a smile. "My name's Shiva." She held out her hand coyly.

The stranger hesitated, but smiled softly and took her hand. "Cait," he replied. "Cait Sith."

After that, it went sharply uphill. They spent some of their off-time getting a bite to eat at some of the restaurants of Bevelle. Then they started to visit each other in their rooms, sometimes for hours at a time. One time, it even got serious as "spending the night together". The one night she would never forget.

The night she knew Cait was her destined lover.

* * *

Shiva sighed softly as she snapped back to reality, still staring at the statue of Cait. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself and shivered.

She knew it wasn't from the cold of the lake.


	8. Ice of the Fayth

A/N: Okay, before I begin the next segment of Hollow Prayers, I decided to review some of the comments that have been made… Okay, there's only one, but it's still a review

_**Sakura Lisel**_: I'm glad you're taking an interest in my fanfic. However, there's a pattern with this story. First chapter of an aeon is always background info. The second chapter illustrates a battle of sorts to gain Yunalesca's approval in becoming an aeon. But to answer your questions in order… 1: Cait's story is intertwined with Shiva's, as you can tell, and as you will tell at the end of this chapter. 2: You'll know how he died at the end of this chapter. 3: You'll know why there's a statue of him at the end of the chapter. 4: No, Shiva is not an aeon. I guess I didn't make it very clear in the last chapter, but you'll know at the end of this chapter. You know, this is probably the longest reply I have ever written for a review XD

Regardless, it's time to start the new chapter of Hollow Prayers. Enjoy.

* * *

**_Chapter 8: Ice of the Fayth_**

She continued to gaze upon the statue, bringing back the many memories she had with Cait. Suddenly, she glanced away, not even realizing she had done that.

Of course… not all of the memories were happy ones…

* * *

Shiva began to notice a few changes with Cait as he started leaving to perform some of his temple duties. She knew as well as the next monk that new monks received experience by traveling to another temple and performing civic religious duties there. Each monk was assigned a temple given by the more experienced monks. Of course, they were obliged to take bribes so the new monks could go to the temple they wanted to go to. 

Cait was one of those people. She saw him whisper something to one of the monks just before the ceremony held inside the temple. When he noticed her watching him, he just flashed a smile and stepped in the line for new monks as the ceremony started.

He was assigned Macalania Temple, which made Shiva slightly nervous. Even though it was close by, and that Cait could return to Bevelle more often than others, the winds were harshly cold, and the temple wasn't much warmer than outside. She pictured Cait piled under blankets near a warm fire, and it brought her mind to ease.

The day he had left, Shiva wore one of her finer outfits; a light blue dress that was tight near her hips, white gloves that went up just below her elbows, and an off-white cloak that hung around her shoulders. When Cait took notice of her, he gaped. She giggled softly and made her way towards him. They stood close to each other for a good thirty seconds, gazing softly into the other's eyes, before they thrust themselves upon each other and kissed passionately. When the pulled back a minute later, she noticed Cait blushing furiously, and realized that she herself was blushing. Their love had been secret since they had met, but, because it was made public, she felt slightly embarrassed.

Once the priests shouted that it was time to depart, Cait looked at her again and smiled softly. "Don't worry about me," he whispered to her. "I'll be fine. Macalania Temple isn't even a day's travel on foot." He stroked her cheek with a smile before turning around and walking out of the city limits with the other monks. Shiva smiled to herself, remembering the day that she had gone out to serve at the other temples.

That was the last day she had seen him like that.

It was perhaps a year later before she saw him again. Shiva was polishing one of the statues near the Highbridge when she spilled some polish with her foot. Wondering how she could have done that, she dropped the rag and bent over to clean the mess up. As she was drying up the mess, she absent-mindedly glanced up and stared.

* * *

Shiva tore her gaze from the statue, feeling cold salty tears run down her face. She couldn't bear to remember what had happened after that. The memories were beginning to cut through her, and she couldn't bear it anymore. She forced herself to cloud her mind, to forget what had happened. 

The more she tried, the harder it was to forget.

The day Cait had struck her across the face.

* * *

The memory was as clear as day against her wishes. She took in his features and frowned. Something wasn't right about the way he was walking. Or limping. He seemed to be walking on what looked like a large crutch. Shiva stood up and started walking to her. When she was close enough, she put her hand up to her mouth. 

Cait was being supported by a leg.

His leg.

Shiva ran up to him. "What happened to you? It looked like you were attacked by a fiend!"

Cait didn't answer. He stood there without saying a word.

Shiva frowned. "Cait? Can you tell me what's wrong?"

No reply.

Tears started brewing in her eyes. "Please, talk to me, Cait."

That was it.

The moment he slapped her.

After that, Shiva and Cait never made eye-contact with each other. Cait was put in the Medicine Wing soon after the slap. Shiva stayed in her room, locked behind the bedroom door. The only time she ever left her room was to head out onto her balcony and gaze at the crescent moon.

Two weeks later, she heard a knock on the door. Shiva glanced outside and groaned. _It's too dark to even think about bothering anyone,_ she thought angrily. Shoving the covers furiously off the bed, she stood up and trudged to the door. "Who is it?" she whispered through gritted teeth.

"It's the nurse from the Medicine Wing," came the reply.

Silence.

"I have some bad news. About Cait."

Shiva slowly opened the door, which creaked much louder than usual from the silence of the night. "What happened… to Cait?" she asked.

The nurse's eyes were red from crying, and she brought a handkerchief out of her pockets and dried her tears. Her eyes were still bloodshot, but the tears were gone. She composed herself, but immediately broke down again.

"Cait's dead."

Shiva stood there, dumbfounded and confused as to what happened. The words shot through her gut like a hot knife cutting through butter. Cait… dead? How could that be? He was always healthy, from what she had heard from the other monks. It sounded like he would make a full recovery, though he would have to use a crutch for the rest of his life.

The nurse quieted herself down enough to explain what had happened. Only hours ago, Cait had a seizure. The doctors had tried to bring him back to normal, but, after his death, they had discovered the toxin of a fiend of unknown species.

Shiva tried her best to take it all in. _Why should I care that he's dead?_ she thought angrily. Tears started to brim her eyes._ It's his fault that we aren't… weren't together. _

She dropped to the floor and cried hysterically.

In honor of his death, the priests had told everyone the following afternoon, they were to sculpt a statue of him and place it in the temple he had served. It was the best they could do to honor what life he had here.

* * *

Shiva turned away from the statue and wiped the tears from her cheeks. She must've cried as the memories came to her. She turned around and walked outside the temple into the freezing winds of the lake. 

As she walked, bundled up in layers of blankets she brought, she noticed a woman up ahead wearing practically nothing. Her hair seemed to stay in place, even as the wind blew harshly against it.

The woman spoke. "You have been chosen to become an Aeon," she said softly.

Shiva gaped. "Aeon?" She couldn't remember from her teachings what an Aeon actually was.

The woman nodded. "Yes. My name is Yunalesca." She bowed softly. "You have witnessed what it is like to live with a broken heart, knowing that someone you had cared for deeply has gone." She swept her hands beside her, and a bright light appeared. "For that, you have already passed my test." She smiled softly. "Step through here, and your pain shall disappear forever."

Shiva hesitated. Could she really make her heartache disappear? If so, maybe she could think of the happier memories she had with Cait…

With that thought in mind, she boldly strolled towards the light…

And stepped through.


	9. The Young and the Old

A/N: I apologize for not updating this story as quickly as the limits on your patience. I'll make it up to you… no, all of you who have loved my stories, by making this chapter extra special. If you remember, I finished writing about Shiva. Which means it is now Bahamut's turn. And boy, do I have something in store for him

* * *

_**Chapter 9: The Young and the Old**_

_August 24, 1000 AD_

The young boy strolled through Bevelle's crowded streets towards the marketplace. It had been quite some time since he had been to see Ramuh, the old shopkeeper. He loved the old man's wares, which focused mostly on rare weapons. Every now and then, Ramuh would even let him keep one of his weapons for quite a large discount.

It wasn't uncommon for him to get discounts in the marketplace. He was the son of a wealthy merchant family that lived up in the estates. There wasn't a single man on Spira wealthier than his family. Or more powerful. Of course, being powerful usually brings greed, and Bahamut never had more than a few hundred gil to spend at any one time, seeing as how his parents hoarded it all for themselves.

He approached Ramuh's stall and grinned. "Hey, I'm looking for a weapon. Nothing too fancy, of course, seeing as how you don't sell them here."

The old man pretended to look shocked. "How dare you, you young scoundrel!" he shouted back, a playful tone in his voice. "I'll have you know, this is a rare weapons stall. All of Spira's finest weapons are sold here!"

Bahamut smirked and folded his arms in front of his chest. "Don't make me laugh, old man!"

Ramuh glared at him.

Laughter between them suddenly broke the silence.

The old man patted Bahamut's head. "How've you been, boy?" he asked, their playacting ritual now over.

"Quite well, actually," came the reply. "I've started hunting fiends on my own now. I even have this cool weapon my parents bought me for my birthday!"

He took out a small sword with four golden blades, curved to maximize its purpose; to pierce the skin. The way each blade was curved, it looked more like a dragon claw.

Without even asking, Ramuh took the weapon from the boy's hand and studied it carefully. "Hmm… yes, this is quite a weapon you have," he stated. "To be honest, I haven't seen a weapon so finely crafted in quite a while. The blacksmith who made this must be very talented indeed."

Suddenly, screams filled the air. The sounds of conversations stopped as heads turned toward the source. A large turtle-like fiend roared as it charged towards the surprised flock of people. Each step created a low tremor, shifting the ground enough to make people lose their footing.

Ramuh quickly knelt down beside Bahamut and grabbed his shoulders. "Listen to me well, boy," he whispered loudly. "I want you to run away. This beast isn't from around here, and you have no idea what it's capable of." His voice started to crack. "I'm going to fight that thing, boy. I know how to kill it, so leave everything to me. Understand?"

Bahamut nodded, tears filling his eyes. He had fought fiends before, and Ramuh knew of his power in combat. If Ramuh wanted him to escape, then this fiend wasn't some small fry. The size of the fiend definitely confirmed this belief.

The old man reached behind the counter and pulled out a large sword Bahamut had never seen before. It was a katana of a sort. It had a black blade with fire patterns running along the length of the sword, and it curved sharply at the tip.

He watched the old man charge at the monster, pushing people out of the way. _Wow, he can really move,_ he thought with a smile as he continued to watch against Ramuh's wishes. To his surprise, the old man leapt into the air and brought the sword down sharply against the face of the fiend. It roared in pain, and attempted to bite Ramuh.

To Bahamut's disbelief… the fiend succeeded.

Ramuh screeched in pain as he struggled against the fiend's massive teeth. The fiend roared with its food between its teeth, though it seemed more like an evil laugh, and suddenly chomped down. Hard.

Bahamut found himself staring at his old friend's body being torn in half. His torso was lying limp on the ground, which meant the lower half was in the fiend's stomach.

His only friend in the world… gone.

Just like that.


End file.
